Pieces
by MoodyBleu
Summary: Jim spots a mysterious woman named Marlie who just survived a brutal attack. Now he and Selena must figure out what exactly happened and why it happened.
1. Chapter 1

Part 1

She couldn't remember all of the details that had happened. All she remembered was walking along the dark streets, and turning her head to the sound of voices coming from behind her. She tried to run, but the dark, menacing figures were able to grab a tight hold of her before her feet could pound the heavy pavement.

Everything else at that point was a slight blur. She had felt herself being dragged down to the pavement in the dark, kicking and screaming. A sudden sting began to burn against parts of her skin, and more blows formed to the sides of her abdomen and back. She remembered hearing threats and felt someone spit in her face before blacking out for what seemed like hours.

She then looked up at the dark, heavy skies with a glazed confusion on her face. Every moment was already a blur, and all she now wanted to do was die.

Suddenly, thunder cracked and a heavy, cold rain fell from the dark skies, soaking everything around her. She slowly walked along the sidewalks, letting the rain fall on top of her in huge droplets. She then stopped short, turned and walked in the middle of an empty road. She stood there and closed her eyes, waiting for something to hit her head on. She immediately felt numb and weary, and collapsed to the ground.

She heard a loud buzzing sound and saw some eyes stare at her in worry before she could pass out again.  
----------------------------  
He walked through the darkness of night and suddenly heard the loud rumble of thunder from above. When he looked up, a heavy cluster of rain began to fall, getting him completely soaked from head to toe. As he tried to escape the downpour, he stopped and spotted someone collapsing in the middle of the road. He walked over to get a closer look and then saw her struggling on her side and breathing heavily, as if she were about to expire. A scrape had already formed on her forehead, and he noticed a huge dark stain in the center of her shirt, along with some heavy bruises and cuts.

"You all right?" He asked, moving in closer to her.

She stared at him in shock and began to tremble. Before he could ask her anything else, her eyes closed and he quickly caught her before she could hit the other side of her head. The cuts began to seep and he struggled to rip his coat off and wrap it around the victim.  
------------------------------  
(Hours later)

She slowly struggled to breathe and open her eyes, but could only wince in pain. Everything in her body felt stiff as ice including the pounding of her head and stomach. A chill flowed up and down her spine as she struggled to move.

She suddenly felt something warm and damp upon her forehead as it slowly moved and pressed down on her gently. She tried to open her eyes again, but her vision was blurred. She couldn't tell who the person was but she soon started to see a pair of eyes stare at her. Her entire body started to tremble in fear and worry, but was calmly stopped when the person placed a calm, warm hand to the side of her cheek.

"It's OK," the figure whispered, "You'll be safe here."  
She then felt something trickle down from the corner of her eye. A tear.  
The figure gently wiped it away and whispered, "Don't worry. You're not in danger anymore. Just rest."

Before she could fall asleep again, her voice cracked:  
"Who...who are you?"  
She missed his name by the time she drifted off into a deep sleep.  
---------------------------------  
He slowly placed the warm blanket on top of her and watched her sleep peacefully for a moment. The storm had finally cleared, and the small sliver of the moon began to shine eerily through the window, reflecting the spare bedroom. She was about his age with dark hair, but looked younger than his motley group of comrades. It was a relief to finally watch her sleep in peace after hours of struggle. She was still damp from the storm, and her wounds were finally cleaned, stitched and bandaged. But all that mattered now was that she was resting comfortably without a fight.

"How is she?"

He faced Selena and replied, "Whatever it is, I'm sure she'll sleep it off."  
"Jim, she was near death. You can't just assume that she'll 'sleep it off'. Let alone survive through the night without the proper medicine we're supposed to have here."  
"I'm sorry. It's just..."

After a moment of silence, Jim glanced back at the bed momentarily as Selena started again.

"You know her...don't you?" she asked.  
"What makes you think that I do?"  
"It was just a question. Calm down."  
"Well, _no_. I don't know who she is. I just didn't want her to be tossed aside out there like garbage. OK?"

Selena glanced at her with Jim and mentioned that she isn't a part of their clan.  
"Yeah? How would you know?" Jim replied through gritted teeth.

Selena then grabbed him by the collar and led him outside into the hallway, closing the door slightly.

"That girl," Selena replied, lowering her voice, "is a stray. She could've been infected..."  
"She's _not _infected. From what I saw out there, she was escaping from an attack or..."  
"She could be faking it..."  
"Not from what you and I just went through, trying to calm her down and fix her wounds. And those markings..."  
Jim stopped for a moment and glanced at her.  
"Just do me a favor? Let me take care of it, and you do your own thing."

Jim slowly opened the door again and slipped inside the bedroom, letting it shut behind him in silence. He then grabbed a chair, placed it a few feet away from the left side of the bed, and sat down, watching the girl sleep in silence again.

(To be continued...)


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

(Earlier)

Selena opened the shack door, watched her extremely wet and frantic friend carry a girl into the living room and placed her on the floor.  
"Find something to prop her head up," Jim commanded as he began to dart into the bathroom in search of a first aid kit.  
"You're not worried about the rug?" she asked in confusion, grabbing a pillow from the couch.

She waited for an answer but heard Jim throw numerous objects onto the floor from the bathroom. Selena rolled her eyes and placed the pillow under the girl's matted head, and peeled the dark coat off of her. She suddenly saw how damaged the girl was and almost threw up.

She looked as if she had been used for some experiment from the various wounds and cuts around her body. She then lightly checked for a pulse on the side of her neck and noticed the strange markings on her wrists and arms.

"Where have I seen these?" She thought as the girl softly moaned and slightly turned her head to the right.  
"Jim! She's coming out of it! Hurry up, you!" Selena yelled, not knowing what to do.

Jim finally ran into the living room and placed the first aid kit in front of him, along with some rags, bottles of rubbing alcohol, peroxide, gauze and some black thread.  
"You can't be serious," Selena muttered as her friend placed the black thread into the eye of the needle. He then grabbed a rag from the floor and poured some peroxide into the cloth, causing the liquid to spill in droplets onto the rug.

"It's the only way. I couldn't just let her bleed to death," Jim muttered back as he lifted the girl's shirt up slightly and grimaced at the sight of the deep wound. It didn't take long enough for her to scream as the cold, wet rag was placed on the open wound.  
----------------------  
(2 days later)

She opened her eyes tiredly and sighed. Her mind cleared briefly and she then sat up slightly from the bed, looking around the room. It seemed like a plain, modest type of room minus the antiques.

Her eyes lowered momentarily and she noticed that her stained arms were tightly wrapped in bandages and that her shirt still clung to her sides without being fully damp. She then held her head as it started to pound, causing her to slide out of the bed and into the hallway.

"This is weird," she thought as she slowly walked through the hallway, "I'm in someone's home and I have no idea where the hell I am."  
Before she could turn the corner, she bumped into Jim and stumbled.  
She started to get a look of terror in her eyes but quickly calmed down as he started to speak.

"It's OK. I was headed in your direction anyway," he said calmly.

His eyes weren't as dark and intense as they were a few nights before. He looked at her with instant relief and lightly smiled.

"At least you're up. I was starting to get worried."  
"Well, you don't have to. I'm alive," she replied, holding her head.  
He raised his eyes and replied, "She speaks. I can finally have a conversation with someone."  
She shrugged as he walked over to her side held his hand out for assistance.

"You want to join me for something? It's just you and I for the day."  
She shrugged her shoulders again and glanced down at the floor.  
"Why don't you join me," Jim replied softly, leading her into the kitchen area of the house surrounded by a stove, oven, and some cupboards while the table was placed up against the edge of the wall. He pulled out a chair for her and grabbed two lukewarm mugs from the stove and placed them on the table in front of them.

"Here," he replied, placing the mug in front of her, "It's tea. I hope you don't mind. It's the only thing my friend and I have in here until she's able to get more supplies."

She nodded and placed the mug around the palms of her hand and felt its warmth almost instantly. After a moment, she asked:

"How long have I been here?"  
"Two days," he replied.

She raised her eyes in shock.  
"I know. It seems like it's been..."  
"Years?"  
"Yeah. You were in and out of consciousness a lot so..."

Jim watched her hold her forehead and say, "I'm sorry if...I've been causing so much trouble by me being here."  
He shook his head and replied, "No trouble. My friend and I could always use an extra guest."

She looked around and asked, "Where is your 'friend', by the way?"  
"She's out. Like I said about the supplies."  
The girl nodded and stared down at the half-full mug for a few moments.

"You've been the perfect house guest, by the way," Jim added.  
She looked at him slightly and muttered, "Thanks."

A brief silence surrounded them once more until he asked her how she was feeling.  
"OK, I guess. I still feel a little bit weak after a few nights ago."  
"Do you remember anything from that night?"  
"Just that I had gotten off the subway and heard these menacing voices. Everything else is still hazy but..."

She suddenly placed her head in her hand and sobbed silently as he looked on.

"I'm sorry. I just...I don't remember anything. I don't remember a damn thing that happened after. Just my name."

He stared at her sympathetically and asked her who she was.

"Marlie."  
"I'm Jim. And I'll try to help you out, OK?"

Marlie nodded slowly and wiped a tear from her eye as Jim pulled a chair next to her side and placed an arm around her.

(To be continued…)


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

Marlie walked down the dark streets, humming an old song to herself, when she heard something drop sharply to the pavement. She turned around and only saw complete darkness, and continued to walk. Suddenly, a tall figure in a weird uniform stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

"Got the time, miss?" he asked.

"I don't have a watch on me. Sorry," she said, trying to get by. As she walked past him, two other figures stepped in front of her, sneering and laughing at her. Marlie turned around and started to walk the other way, but four more figures stepped in, and started to get extremely close to her.

She suddenly ducked under them and broke out into a run, running through the dark alley, trying to find a way out.

She faced a tall fence, and tried to climb it, but kept slipping along the way. When she tried again, she felt her body being thrown to the ground. She tried to break free, but her hands were pinned down. The lead figure looked into her nervous eyes and said, "You make any movements or speak a word, you'll never see the light of day."

(3 Days later...)

Jim sat down on the ratted couch and stared at the pale off white walls, which were peeling and rotting from the last coat of paint. He didn't know how else to help Marlie cope with the strange aftermath of being attacked. He had never gotten attacked before, but had been close to death almost twice...aside from being in a coma and getting shot in the gut.

But things weren't the same between him and her anymore. Selena seemed to get more arrogant by the day and it bugged him that she was acting this way. It was if she didn't want to deal with him any longer.

"So this is how it feels to be neglected," Jim thought as he dug his nails into the arm of the velvet couch.

"Hi."

Jim looked up and saw Marlie standing nervously in the doorway with dripping wet hair and baggy clothes that were clinging to her skin.

"I...um...found these in the hamper. I don't know if that's OK or not," Marlie said, referring to the sweats that she was wearing.

"It's fine. Not a problem at all," Jim replied, straightening up in his seat and lightly smiling at her. Marlie smiled back and leaned against the door in the living room hallway, letting another moment of silence surround them again.

"Something you want?" He asked.

Marlie shook her head and started to stare down at the wooden floors.

"You look nervous."

Marlie shrugged and replied, "First few days that I've been around people I don't know."

Jim nodded.

"It takes getting used to," Jim said, "I know how that feels."

"How what feels?"

Selena stepped in next to Marlie and held two bulky plastic bags in both of her hands while she stared at him suspiciously.

"I was...just tellin' Marlie how it feels to be confused and nervous in a new environment," Jim stammered. Selena nodded and entered the living room, where she dumped the bags in the center of the floor, spilling out many canned contents and necessities much to Marlie's dismay.

(To be continued...)


	4. Chapter 4

4

Marlie sat up in the bed in silence, listening to the two house mates argue loudly back and forth. She could tell that there was some tension brewing between Selena and Jim and didn't know what else to think.

"_It's best not to say a damn word 'bout it_," Marlie thought as she slid into the dark hallway and into the washroom.

Marlie was still nervous around the two of them, and felt even more nervous when she was around Selena. She wasn't sure if it was Selena's arrogance or appearance, but it left her feeling frightened either way. Jim seemed nice enough, aside from Selena.

He seemed to understand her and felt more like a new friend whenever they managed to lock eyes or start short conversations. Marlie liked him...even though it had only been a few days.

As Marlie grabbed a clean glass of water, she heard Selena yell out a curse and throw something against the wall outside, which caused Marlie to drop to the floor and cover her head, letting the arguments continue and flashbacks start up again.  
----------------------------  
She remembered being thrown to the pavement and seeing the flash of a pocket razor as the uniformed group held her down hard, taunting and sneering at her. As she tried to struggle, she saw the whites of their eyes change to a bloodied red and yellow color and tried to scream.  
--------------------------  
"What're you yellin' about! Huh?"

Marlie felt Selena's hands grip her shoulders, shaking her almost violently as Jim quickly flipped on the light-switch and bent down in front of Marlie.

"Answer me, you stupid girl! What're you yellin' about?" Selena roared as tears started to drip down Marlie's face.  
"Would you stop that? You're scarin' her!" Jim yelled, pushing Selena out of the way.  
"_I'm _scarin' her? You got it all wrong! She's the one who's scarin' me with that freakish mute act she's been pulling! And you're so stupid enough to fall for it!"

Jim glared up at Selena as more tears started to stream down Marlie's face. After their intense staring session, Selena turned around and slammed the door of her room, leaving Jim alone in the bathroom to console a frightened Marlie in silence.

"I'm sorry," Marlie mumbled, struggling to wipe the tears from her face, "I didn't mean to get her aggravated. Really."  
"Don't worry 'bout her. She's got her own problems to wrestle with. Just relax for now," Jim replied, rubbing her shoulder while she rested her head in his lap.

(To be continued...)


	5. Chapter 5

5

Earlier the next morning, Marlie found herself back in her own bed with the same puffy eyes after last night's incident. She suddenly heard whispers from downstairs and the slight slam of the front door, causing her to curiously look out the bed room window. Selena was walking through the woods with a backpack on her shoulder and a few odd tools around her waist like a belt.

"_I did something wrong_," Marlie thought as she turned away from the window, "_I'm sure of it_."

Minutes later, she walked down the stairs and saw Jim sitting in the same spot on the old living room couch, staring up at the ceiling.

"Where's she goin'? Your friend?" Marlie asked him.  
Jim looked over at her solemnly.  
"She just needs to clear her head for a few days. Find more supplies, that sort of thing," He answered.

Marlie nodded slowly and started to turn away.  
"How're you feelin'?"  
She looked over at him and mumbled, "Okay. Not as bad as last night, I guess."

After a brief silence, she asked him the same question and heard him reply:

"I'm worried. About you."

She looked at him in confusion and asked, "Why me?"  
"With that state you were in last night, I should have every reason to worry."  
"What about your girlfriend?" Marlie asked, "Aren't you worried about her, too?"  
"If you mean my _ex_-girlfriend, then yeah. A bit, actually. But I'm worrying 'bout her as a close friend... now that she's gone out again."  
"How long will she be gone?"

Jim shook his head, indicating an unsure answer.  
"Knowing her, I'd give it a few days. At the rate she's goin', maybe 2 weeks..."  
"Because of me," Marlie answered.  
"No, of course not," Jim replied, walking over to her, "Not 'cause of you. She's just frustrated about..."  
"Me?"  
"No. She's...it's not, okay? You didn't do a thing to upset her. Last night was just...it was difficult for all of us. Her as well."

Marlie started to look down at the floor as he stood in front of her with sympathetic blue eyes.

"So...she just needs to clear her head, then?" Marlie asked, sensing his stare as she continued to stare at the floor.  
"Something like that. Yeah. I think she just needs to be alone," Jim replied.

(To be continued...)


	6. Chapter 6

6

(Next night)

"Where were you when it first happened?"

Jim glanced up at her from the small kitchen table while the plastic lantern in front of them dimmed slowly from inside the oblong container.

"I was out when it happened," he replied.  
Before Marlie could ask, he quickly explained that he was unconscious.

"I had...I was delivering a package on my bike and I got hit by a car. Landed on my head, apparently. I was in a coma for...I don't know how long. Months, I guess. When I woke up, I didn't see a soul. There was trash everywhere...everything was all over the place. I didn't see anyone 'til I entered the church. It was as if everyone was dead but they weren't. Their eyes were...they were weird. All of the blood was filling up the whites of their eyes and their pupils had this...weird yellowish color in the middle like a monster or somethin'. That's when I saw Selena and Mark in the town square and they explained what had occurred."

Marlie watched him stop in a mid-sentence and rubbed his eyes.

"I lost my friends, my co-workers, my parents mostly. They were considered lucky, I guess..."  
"What made them lucky?" Marlie asked.  
"They took too many pills with some glasses of wine. Least they weren't exposed."

She nodded and slowly cupped her chin in her hands.

"I never knew my family," Marlie replied.  
Jim looked at her calmly, "No?"  
"I was adopted the day I was born. I never knew who my real parents were. My adoptive mother claimed that they didn't want the responsibility of havin' a kid with them so...they had to give me up. I haven't kept in touch with them before and after it happened."  
"I'm sorry."

Marlie shrugged and replied, "Don't be. I couldn't really care less about it anyway."  
Jim nodded and watched her move her hands up to her forehead.

"You all right?" Jim asked, looking at her with concern.  
"Migraines, I think," Marlie answered.  
"I know how those feel. Believe me."

He got up and opened to the huge cooler that was placed on the kitchen floor.  
"You want anything?" He asked.

Marlie shook her head "no" and started to sigh nervously. He closed the top and walked over to her side, bending down next to her as she was about to sob.

"The memories are back again?"  
"Apparently," Marlie replied, wiping a tear from her face, "They never seem to stop. I keep having...nightmares that the group who attacked me will come back and finish me off. Or make me one of the infected."  
She watched his blue eyes get glassy with fear as she explained how petrified she had become. He touched her face gently and wiped the rest of the tears away from her face.

"No one will come back to finish you off. I swear it. They won't come," Jim replied softly until she accepted.

(To be continued...)


	7. Chapter 7

7

Marlie's eyes shot open as she heard the door close and the sound of someone entering the living room. She slowly picked her head up from the couch and spotted Selena, who held a bulky plastic bag in her hand while her belt sagged slightly. Selena glanced over at Marlie, smiled slightly and said, "Hi."

Marlie gave her a nod and started look down.

"Where's Jim?" Selena asked her.

Marlie shrugged and said, "Somewhere in the house, I guess."

"You don't know?"

"I think he's outside in the back."

Selena checked the back window and replied, "I didn't see him out there, but I'll check again in a few minutes."

Marlie nodded and was asked how she was feeling.

"You're the second person that's asked me that already," Marlie replied, sitting up, "But I'm okay. Thanks."

Selena walked over to her side and said, "We need to talk."

Marlie glanced at her nervously as she continued.

"I…erm…I want to apologize. I know you must be going through a lot right now after all that's happened and I…well, Jim and I know what it's like. To feel scared and confused. But…you gotta learn to be tough in situations like this. You can't just run and hide..."

"Because there's nowhere else to hide, right?" Marlie asked.

Before Selena could say anything else, Jim entered the room, spotted the two women on the couch and said, "Now this is something I didn't expect to see."

Selena gave him a small grin and asked, "Pleasure to see you, Jim, as always. Where were you?"

"Sayin' hello to Hannah, that's all," Jim answered, "I didn't have the chance last week."

Hannah was one of the youngest survivors in their small group before she died of pneumonia. She had lost her father months after the infection started to spread, and was quickly taken in by Jim and Selena during their first adventure. The three of them had been through a lot before Hannah died, and it was hard for the two of them to lose someone who was like a little sister to them.

"So what's this about, then?" Jim asked, referring to Marlie and Selena.

"Just a talk, that's all," Selena answered, getting up and walking into the kitchen, "But, we need to have another meetin'."

(Hours later)

"I'm not going back out there! It's bollocks!" Marlie yelled, walking out of the kitchen.

"Marlie, you need to learn how to get over that fear," Selena said as she and Jim followed her out of the kitchen, "Remember what I said before? You have to learn to be tough."

"I'm not prepared to go back out on the streets and take another deadly beating from whoever the hell they were!"

"There's a good chance that they might not be out there," Jim said, trying to calm her down.

"But there's a good chance that they might be waiting back inside my apartment!"

Selena had called a meeting and suggested that they take Marlie down to her old apartment to grab a few things. But Marlie resented the idea altogether, thinking that her attackers would follow the group and finish them off.

"Look. If something were to happen, then we'll come prepared," Selena said, walking over to her side and showing her the tool belt. It revealed some small axes, a hammer, a few knives and a sharp hook among her other violent tools.

"I don't know about this," Marlie said, holding her head.

"C'mon, Marlie. We have to at least try."

Marlie stared at the both of them for a few moments and then said, "When do we leave?"

(To be continued…)


End file.
